Hospital-bed.



W. T. MERCHANT.

HOSPITAL BED.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 14, 1911.

1,038,623,, Patented Sept. 17,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHBET l.

INVENTOR h/ TWMM Al! lays,

W. T. MERCHANT.

HOSPITAL BED.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1911 Patented Sept. 17, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 WITNESSES m I A ltomeys tion of the mattress.

"WOODSON T. MERCfIANT, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

HOSPITAL-BED.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 17,1912.

Application filed August: 14, 1911. Serial No. 644,026.

To all (FINN/t it may concern:

Be it known that I, \Voonsox '1. 1111511- onan'r, a citizen of the Unitedtitatcs, residing at Louisville, in the county of .leiierson and State of Kentucky, have i'i'iventcd certain new and useful improvements in Hospital-Beds, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in beds of the kind geitnnlly known as hospital or invalid beds, and itcomprises suitable supporting posts, a mattress frame thereon coi'nposed of two sections, one of which extends beyond and is secured to the foot, posts, the sections being hinged together at one of the foot posts, so that the foot: section and. the other foot, post. may be swung to one side of the main section to permit the physician or attendant to stand in the space normalh occupied by the foot sec- The mattress is made in two sections, the

lower or foot section heinp movable onto the extended foot section of the bed so as to break the m at'trcss in the middle and permit the use of a commode without swinging the foot section of the bed frame to one side, and also in order that the foot section of the bed frame may support the foot section. of the mattress when. the former is swung away from normal position.

The invention also con'iprises an adjustably supported (JOHHI'IOdG, or douche pan arranged at the center of the bed, which may be moved upward for usewhen the mattress sections are moved apart. and may be moved downward beneath the mattress when not in use.

In the accom 'ianying drawing-l1 igure 1 is a side elevation of the invalid bed embodying; my invention, the parts being shown in normal positions in full lines; Big.

2 is a side iev-v partly in section, of the com mode or douche pan; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. t is a section on the line of Fig. l; Fig f a detail view showing; the hinge in one side of the bed frame; Fig. 6 is a horizontal section through the joint in the opposite side of the frame; Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the bed with the foot section of the bed swuig out.

Referring to the drawing, 1 and 2 indicate the head posts and it and 4: the foot posts of the bed, upon which is mounted a rectangular supporting frnne for the mat tress comprising sections a and b, which are hinged together and adapted to swing aboutthe post 3 as an axis, relatively to one another. The section 0. comprises side pieces: 5 and 6 of angle iron, both connected rig dly to the head posts and also connected by suit.-

able cross pieces, one of which is indicated at 7. The side piece 5 extends from the head post 1 to the foot post 3 and is provided with an eye 8 which is journaled upon said foot post. The side piece 6 extends from the head post 2 to a point adjacent the footpost- 4. The section Z) comprises side pieces 9 and 10 which are rigidly secured to the footposts 3 and t and extend beyond the same, these side pieces being connected by an end piece 11. The side piece 6 is provided with an eye 12 adapted to receive a projection 13 on the side piece 10 and a bolt lat and clamping nut lanormally connect the side pieces (3 and 10 of the two sections so as to form a rectangular frame which extends beyond the foot post. A brace 16 extends be- -tween the piece 5 and a sleeve 16 on the post 3. The mattress is composed of two seetioi'is 1T 1d 1.8, adapted to rest upon the frame between the head and foot posts. The foot section 18 may be moved from the position shown in full lines in Fig. l to the position shown in dotted lines, while the two parts of the bed frame are in normal position, thus separating the mattress so as to permit of the use of the commode C arranged beneath the n'iattress.

For obstetrical purposes the section 18 of the mattress may be moved onto the section Z of the bed frame and said latter section may then be unlocked at the joint between the side bars 10 and ti and swung outwardly a any desired angle to the section (.1, thus pern'iitting the surgeon or nurse to step. in between the sides 5 and (S of the frame to attend the patient. Before unlocking the bed frame an adjustable leg 19, hinged at 20 to the side bar (3, is let down as indicated at dotted lines inl ig. l, to support the side bar, and when the frame is unlocked the 'section 7) is swung ol'itwardly and an adjustable leg 21, pivoted to the end piece 11, is let down to support the section I). The section a will then be supported upon the legs 1, 2, J and 19 and'the section b will be supported upon the legs 3, 4; and 21. Stirrups 251 and 33 are suitably supported upon the sides of the bed frame for use by the patient when necessary.

In bear-in s 24- secured to the cross )iece 7, are arranged rods 25 which extend lengthwise of the bed and are adjustably' secured. by thumb screws 26. These rods support the commode C. The latter comprises a receptacle 27 having gnideways 28' on its sides in which are arranged slides 29. The rods 25 extend through suitable openings in the slides and set screws 30 are provided for securing the rods to the slides. Set screws 31 are also provided for clamping the slides to the guideways so that the re ceptacle 27 may be held at diii'erent elevations with. respect to the mattress. This receptacle is shown with an inner vessel 32 and. an adjustable cover 33 which may be moved downward to close the vessel 32 or may be removed from the receptacle if desired. An apron 34, hinged to one side of the receptacle '27, may be turned over upon the mattress as shown in Fig. 2, to prevent the mattress from being soiled, or this apron may be swung inward when it is desired to lower the commode. It will be evident that by loosening the set screws 31 the commode may lee-lowered to a position below the mattress, as shown in Fig. 1, or it may be adjusted into position for use, as shown in Fig. 2.

Whati claim is:

1. An invalid bed comprising head and foot posts and a frame connecting said-posts and extending beyond the foot posts, said frame comprising two sections having their side bars, at one side of the bed, hinged together, and their side bars, at the other side of. the bed detachably connected together.

2. An invalid bed comprising head and foot posts and a frame connecting said posts and extending beyond the foot posts, said frame comprising vtwo sections one fixed to the head posts, the other fixed to the foot posts, the side bars of said sections, at one side of the bed, being hinged together at one foot post, and the side bars of said sections, at the other side of the bed, being detachably connected together at a point between the head and foot posts.

3. An invalid bed comprising head and foot posts and a frame connecting said posts and extending beyond the foot posts, said frame comprising two sections one fixed to the head posts, the other fixed to the footposts, the side bars of said sections, at one side of the bed, being hinged together at one foot post, and the side bars of said sections, at the other side f the bed, being detachably connected together at a point between the head and foot posts, and folding legs for supporting said sections when the latter side bars are disconnected.

4. An invalid bed, comprising head and :toot posts, and a frame connecting said posts and extending beyond the foot posts, said frame comprising two sections, one section fixed to the head posts, the other section fixed to the foot posts, the side bars of said sections, at one sideofthe'bed, being hinged together at one foot post and the side bars of said sections,.at the other side or" the bed, being detachably connected togather, in' combination with a two-part inattress normally extending between the head and foot posts, one part of said mattress adapted to slide on the bed frame from one section of the latter to the other.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WOODSON T. MERCHANT.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. EVANS, E. D. il/hnnnnnn. 

